


The Heir to the House of El

by rebelrsr



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Kara Danvers isn't Supergirl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:28:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28271658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebelrsr/pseuds/rebelrsr
Summary: Lena visits every bookstore in National City for the perfect Christmas gift. Will she find the bestseller she's searching for? Or will Christmas end in tragedy?
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 10
Kudos: 101
Collections: Supergirl Femslash Secret Santa 2020





	The Heir to the House of El

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PoppyCartinelli](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoppyCartinelli/gifts).



Lena limped into the tiny bookstore, the thirty-seventh of the day, and made a beeline for the sales counter. There was thankfully no line. Planting her hands on the counter, she leaned toward the blonde behind the register.

“I’m looking for a copy of _The Hero of Argo_.”

To her credit, the blonde didn’t laugh like the cashiers at several of the other stores. She also didn’t immediately respond.

That’s when Lena’s desperation leaked (or possibly poured) out. “I don’t care how much it takes. I’ll pay it.”

“I…You know…” the woman stammered. Then she seemed to find her backbone. “I would _never_ charge you more than regular price! Did someone ask you to do that? Tell me who! I’ll make sure they never get another copy!” Her face was flushed in what appeared to be indignation, and bright blue eyes blazed behind her glasses.

Lena peered at the woman’s nametag. “Kara,” she didn’t ask if it was permitted to use only the woman’s first name, “I’m sure if the other stores _had_ copies, they’d be charging whatever they thought customers would pay. Especially if those customers had the last name of Luthor.” She was under no illusion that every person in National City (including small business owners like this Kara) knew her on sight. “All I want to know is: do you have a copy?”

In the quiet of the shop, Lena heard the other woman swallow. Saw a hand raise to fiddle with glasses. “I…yes?”

“What kind of answer is that?” Lena’s patience had fled hours earlier as she’d hunted the perfect Christmas gift through every department store, bookstore, coffee shop, and mall kiosk. She was going to crucify Jeff Bezos for failing to have a single copy in his many distribution centers. “Do you or don’t you have a copy I can buy?”

“I have several copies,” Kara finally answered, and Lena nearly jumped the counter and kissed her.

She was digging in her purse for her wallet and credit card when the result of any leap across the counter changed from kisses to violence.

“But they’re already paid for – and they’re autographed.” Kara edged away from the cash register, perhaps sensing Lena’s incipient loss of control. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.” Holding very still, Lena fought to keep her emotions from pouring out. She couldn’t afford for Kara to see anything other than her public persona as The Ice Queen. “I’ll buy them all. Name your price.” If that didn’t work, she’d call her lawyers and buy the entire store. The whole block.

Something warm and firm squeezed her hand. “Are you alright? Why don’t you sit down? I can bring you a coffee and something to eat.” Kara’s hand closed around Lena’s again. “Whatever it is, I’ll try to help. I promise.”

Help? “You can’t help me.”

Kara’s sudden smile was brighter than the lights on L-Corps’ rooftop helipad at midnight. “My foster mother always said there was nothing in life that a cup of coffee and a piece of pie couldn’t make better.” She came out from behind the counter. “I’ve got some of her chocolate pecan pie in the back, and it won’t take long to brew a fresh pot of coffee.”

When Lena hesitated, Kara continued. “It’s the best pie on the planet.”

“I just need…”

“To sit down, eat, and tell me why it’s so important to find _The Hero of Argo_.” Her hand was warm as it pressed gently against the small of Lena’s back, steering her toward a cozy sitting area where wingback chairs and tables huddled around a gas fireplace.

Kara settled Lena in a chair nearest the fire and slid a matching footstool beneath her feet. “I’ll be right back. Don’t run away.”

She _should_ leave, Lena thought as Kara hurried toward a coffee bar and pastry case shoehorned into a corner of the store. The chair sucked her in to its softness, and the fire chased away the chill in her bones.

Lena sighed in pleasure and lazily eyed the rows of shelves vying for space between a children’s play area piled with stuffed animals, dolls, board games, and Lego blocks and a mini art studio with whiteboard easels and literal buckets of dry erase markers.

It was charming. Lauren would love it.

Lauren. Lena slapped a hand over her mouth to hold in the sobs trying to break free. If she didn’t find this one stupid graphic novel for Lauren, there might not be another chance. And Lauren deserved a happy holiday before…before…

“Hey! What happened?” Kara knelt at her side. She set a tray with steaming coffee mugs and plates of pie on a table. “Ms. Luthor, what’s wrong? Please, let me help.”

“You can’t.” To her horror, Lena’s voice broke, and the tears she’d blinked back for hours ran freely down her cheeks. “No one can help.” Not even the best doctors in the world had managed that.

Strong arms slipped under her knees and behind her back. Kara lifted her from the chair before sitting down with Lena on her lap. “It’s alright. I’ve got you.”

And, whether Kara had intended for Lena to unburden all her problems, that’s what Lena gave her. The story poured out. “You know about my brother.” Everyone in the world had heard of Lex Luthor and the thousands who’d died after he’d distributed counterfeit medications to save costs. “Lex had a daughter. Her name’s Lauren.”

Kara’s arms tightened.

“I wanted to get the book for her. She’s…this might be her last Christmas.” Lena buried her face in Kara’s neck, no longer embarrassed about letting Kara see her grief.

A minute or an hour or a lifetime later, she wiped at her face. Her fingers came away smeared with tears, makeup, and eyeliner. “God, I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I should go.” More like run away and hope she never saw Kara ever again.

“No, don’t go.” Kara’s voice was hoarse, and her eyes red-rimmed and swollen. She sniffed. “I’m the one who’s sorry, Ms. Luthor.” Turning her head, she rubbed her cheek against her shirt. “I can’t find a cure for Lauren, but…we can do something better than _The Hero of Argo_.”

Kara set Lena on her feet. She grabbed two of the whiteboard easels and a bucket of markers.

* * *

“Auntie Kara, will you tell me how you and Aunt Lena met?” Lauren curled against Kara under a mound of blankets. A bright pink beanie covered the soft fluff of her thin hair.

Kara glanced across the room. Lena narrowed her eyes in a glare that would have sent her employees running for cover – yet only earned a beaming grin and wink from her girlfriend. “Darling,” she said warningly after placing her call on mute.

Grin still in place, Kara leaned closer to Lauren. “It was a dark, stormy night. I was about to close my bookstore, _Argo City Books_ , when the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen rushed in. She grabbed my hand, looked deep in my eyes, and said: ‘do you have a copy of _The Hero of Argo_?’”

Lauren’s laughter made the exaggerated retelling worth it.

“Now, why don’t you get that big present wrapped in the red paper?” Kara helped Lauren out of the blankets and off the couch.

The little girl ran to the tree. “This one?” She held up one of the many boxes.

“Yep. That’s the one.” Kara waved Lena over as she got Lauren and the package onto the couch. “Now, tell your aunt to hurry up so you can have your first gift from Rao.”

“Hurry, hurry, hurry! I wanna open my present from Rao!” Lauren screeched.

Jess laughed through Lena’s headset. “I’ll take care of everything, Ms. Luthor. You go spend time with that pretty girl of yours.” Lena was fairly certain she meant Lauren. “I’ll call if there are any problems.”

Lena disconnected the call and removed her wireless headset. “I’m coming, my impatient darlings.” She slid onto the couch on Lauren’s other side, dropping a big, smacking kiss to her cheek. “Go ahead. Open the present.”

Bits of paper flew into the air (Lauren had learned _that_ technique from Kara). “Aunt Lena!” Lauren’s voice was reverent as she held the book she’d unwrapped. The colorful artwork on the dust cover showed a futuristic city in the background with a little girl – who bore a striking resemblance to Lauren – in the foreground.

“Look at the title, baby,” Kara said.

Lauren traced each word as she read. “The Little Hair to the House of El.”

“Just like you and Auntie Kara drew that first Christmas,” Lena reminded her. “Princess Lauren, the heir to the House of El.”


End file.
